Hawaiian Cauliflower Pizza Cups

Today’s recipe is all about opportunity…the opportunity to hop on the cauliflower pizza crust bandwagon! Cauliflower pizza crust has been such a game-changer for our pizza nights. While I do adore a thick doughy pizza crust, I love cauliflower and the way my body feels after eating veggies a heck of a lot more! So cauliflower pizza crust it is!

Instead of making a traditional cauliflower pizza crust here, I decided to channel my inner love for Hawaiian pizza and these adorable Cauliflower Pizza Bites that I made for the Super Bowl last year. The result? A re-networked mini Hawaiian cauliflower pizza. Let me explain…

These muffin-size apps start with ham cups, which you will fill with cauliflower crust, and top with chopped pineapple and mozzarella cheese.No floppy slices of cauliflower crust pizza around here. All the ingredients are packed together together in a neat, perfectly dip-able pizza cup!

A few notes for seamless cauliflower crust prep:

Chop your cauliflower into small florets before adding to the food processor. Or to save time, buy the precut packaged cauliflower.

Process the cauliflower until the texture is somewhere between cauliflower rice and a paste.

Once the cauliflower is cooked, wait a bit before wringing it out! The water coming out of the cauliflower will be really hot. Pop the bowl in the fridge or freezer to expedite cooling.

Place the cauliflower in a kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as you can. The cauliflower should look like a mound of play dough when done. This is now my husband’s task because he can usually squeeze out a cup more water after I think I’m done.

Be sure to season the cauliflower!

Aside from the cauliflower crust prep, you’ll need deli ham to line the cupcake wells, chopped pineapple and mozzarella cheese for topping, and a good marinara or pizza sauce for dipping. Be sure to bake the cups until the cauliflower centers have firmed up and let the cups rest for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven to solidify.

I’ll be making these these Hawaiian Cauliflower Pizza Cups for the big game on Sunday, but they’re also awesome as after school/work snacks, or pack up 2-3 cups for a light and healthy lunch.

Prepare the cauliflower crust: Chop the cauliflower into small florets. Place ⅓ of the florets into a food processor. Give it a few quick pulses and then process for about 10 seconds until the cauliflower resembles rice kernels. Pules a few more times until the cauliflower begins to form a paste. Transfer the cauliflower to a large microwave safe bowl. Repeat this process 2 more times with the remaining florets.

Cook and drain the cauliflower: Microwave the cauliflower for 4 minutes until soft. Let the cauliflower cool for a few minutes. Place the bowl in the fridge or freezer to expedite. Drain the excess moisture from the cauliflower by placing it in a mound in the middle of a kitchen towel. Gather the towel into a ball and twist to wring out every last bit of moisture. When you think you can't wring out any more, keep wringing! Place the cauliflower back into the bowl and add the seasonings and eggs. Mix well with a large spoon.

Prepare the pizza cups: Press 1 ham slice into each well of a 12-muffin tin. Spoon an equal amount of cauliflower mixture into each ham cup. Top each ham cup with an equal amount of chopped pineapple.

Bake the pizza cups: Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the cauliflower is fully cooked and the ham is crisp on the edges. At the 20-minute mark, press down on the cauliflower crust. If it’s still moist and soft, keep baking. When finished baking, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of each cup. Place back in the oven for a couple minutes so the cheese melts. Serve with pizza sauce or marinara sauce on the side for dipping.